Patriots’ Drake Maye rallies past Bills, Colts roll in London win

The New England Patriots closed out a dramatic 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in London on Sunday, riding a late scoring drive from rookie quarterback Drake Maye and a highlight grab from receiver Efton Chism. Earlier at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts controlled the Washington Commanders 30-13 behind a strong rushing effort from Jonathan Taylor.

Maye and Chism deliver late against Buffalo

Trailing in the fourth quarter, the Patriots (2-2) took the lead for good when Maye hit Chism for a go-ahead touchdown inside the final two minutes. Chism hauled in the pass with one hand on a third-and-five, a play that flipped a one-point deficit into a 27-26 advantage. New England then went for two and extended the margin when Maye found running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone.

Maye finished with 269 passing yards and three touchdown throws, and he also led the Patriots on the ground with 54 rushing yards. His day started unevenly, as he was intercepted and lost a fumble in the first half, but he settled in after halftime. The interception came when a pass bounced off receiver Romeo Doubs and was picked off by Bills defensive back Dee Alford.

New England spread the ball around in the passing game. Tight end Hunter Henry led the team with 62 receiving yards, Doubs followed with 58 and Mack Hollins added 53. Henry also secured a key 12-yard catch late in the contest to help the Patriots run out the clock and keep the Bills from getting another possession.

On the Buffalo side, the Bills (3-1) saw quarterback Josh Allen throw for 253 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His final deep attempt on the last drive was intercepted by Craig Woodson, ending Buffalo’s comeback hopes. The Bills were held to 340 total yards, while New England posted a season-best 405 yards on offense. Next week, the Patriots return home to host the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Bills travel to face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.

Taylor, Colts overpower shorthanded Commanders

In the day’s first London matchup, the Colts (2-2) pulled away from the Commanders (1-3) with a balanced performance and big plays from their ground game. Taylor scored twice on rushing attempts, and quarterback Daniel Jones added a touchdown run of his own to give Indianapolis control.

Washington’s quarterback situation took another hit when veteran Marcus Mariota, starting in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, left early in the game with a knee injury after being sacked on the Commanders’ second offensive series. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis took over and experienced mixed results. His interception early in the third quarter set up Taylor’s second rushing score, pushing the Colts’ lead to 17-6.

Kaliakmanis responded on the next drive by connecting with Treylon Burks on a 47-yard touchdown, with Burks outrunning cornerback Sauce Gardner to cut the deficit to 17-13. Indianapolis answered with a 52-yard field goal from kicker Spencer Shrader and a four-yard touchdown run by Jones early in the fourth quarter, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Taylor carried 20 times for 95 rushing yards, providing steady production throughout. Jones went 19-of-34 passing for 134 yards, throwing one interception and losing a fumble, but the Colts’ offense still controlled the scoreboard. Shrader was perfect on three field goal tries, including successful kicks from 48 and 44 yards.

Kaliakmanis completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards with one touchdown and one interception in relief for Washington. The Commanders settled for field goals on two first-quarter trips inside the red zone, missed chances that loomed large in the 13th regular-season NFL game staged at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.